


Nice Try

by GamblingDementor



Category: In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: Bisexuality, F/F, Fluff, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-08-11 06:22:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7879909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GamblingDementor/pseuds/GamblingDementor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em> "HELLS YEAH!" </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The entire hall of the airport can probably hear Vanessa's shout as she rushes into Nina's arms, but she couldn't care less. Five months without seeing her best friend in the world: basically a lifetime ago. Besides, she doesn't care one bit about what Californians may think of her. Nina is the only one that matters.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>They make quite a show, holding each other so tight Vanessa might suffocate any second, dancing around the spot they're standing, whimpering worldless cries of joy.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Vanessa visits Nina for spring break.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nice Try

 

"HELLS YEAH!"

 

The entire hall of the airport can probably hear Vanessa's shout as she rushes into Nina's arms, but she couldn't care less. Five months without seeing her best friend in the world: basically a lifetime ago. Besides, she doesn't care one bit about what Californians may think of her. Nina is the only one that matters.

 

They make quite a show, holding each other so tight Vanessa might suffocate any second, dancing around the spot they're standing, whimpering worldless cries of joy. Months without these arms around her, more than Vanessa can handle.

 

"I thought I'd never see you again!" Vanessa moans.

 

"Just one year left," Nina replies, stroking Vanessa's hair. "Then I'm back for good."

 

They separate, still holding hands, staring at each other.

 

"This is new," Vanessa comments, playing with a curl of Nina's shorter hair.

 

"You like it?" Nina bites her lip.

 

"It's gorgeous," Vanessa replies.

 

Shoulder-length hair suits her − she looks amazing. She looked awesome with long hair down her back. Probably would still look like a model with her hair shorn off.

 

"C'mon, my dorm's empty."

 

This is the magic about spring break, Vanessa learns. Everyone is too busy partying on the beach to spend a minute in their room. The place is silent and empty. At least no one will come knocking at Nina's door complaining about how loud she and Nina _laugh_ this time. Last time she came to visit and that happened, Vanessa tried to let the jerk-face know that she'd laugh as loud as she damn wants because she hasn't seen this beautiful angel in _months_ and she has so much to catch up on, but Nina stuck her hand on her mouth and apologized politely. _Of course_ she did.

 

There's something so sweet and domestic about being all alone in such a vast building. They can do whatever the hell they want. What they choose to do is… not much. Nina cooks. She's always been pretty good at that, with Abuela and Mrs Rosario around. Vanessa smiles and enjoys every second. Life isn't too bad back in New York, but this, this is different.

 

"Wait, your roommate…"

 

"Gone to the beach for the week," Nina says, stirring something that smells good. "She offered us a room, by the way, you know how Stanford people are, the place is a mansion… You wanna go?"

 

Nina has put on an apron because she's cooking with tomato sauce and she claims it can get explosive real fast − Vanessa wouldn't know. Underneath, a frilly purple summer dress. California is hot already. Vanessa can see sweat pearling at Nina's temple. She looks lovely.

 

"Or we can just stay here," Nina adds quickly. "Her bed is free."

 

"That sounds great," Vanessa says.

 

They eat in silence. They're not nearly talked out yet, but there's also time for just taking each other's presence in. Vanessa missed that too. She's fine sitting in this empty kitchen, eating Nina's spaghetti that taste as amazing as she expected, because everything Nina touches is flawless, and glancing up at her from time to time, exchanging content smiles.

 

Nina's room is not changed from the last time Vanessa visited. Her side is still clean and overflowing with books, Patty's side is still messy, on the verge of being filthy, and Vanessa is still intimately convinced that it drives Nina up the walls. They lie on Nina's bed like they used to when they were little and sleeping over at each other's house, talking well into the night. It's late already, with Vanessa's cheap flight arriving late, and jetlag makes her eyelids droop but she doesn't want to miss a word of what Nina says, not when they have so much to talk about. There's classes Nina started this semester and other students she's met there, there's Vanessa's promotion at the fashion house and Carla's new pet dog she keeps visiting with, there is everyone _en el barrio_ that neither of them see all that much but that are somehow connecting them as well. They talk on the phone all the time but nothing compares to this, actually seeing the way Nina's face lights up when she talks about a subject she's passionate about, seeing her smile and the crinkling of her eyes, holding her hands, playing with her hair. She could stare at her all day every day, her first friend, her best friend. Absence and distance did make her heart grow fonder − it was already plenty fond to begin with.

 

One instant she's listening to Nina talk about this new literary club she's been a part of recently, the next she wakes up to the sun filtering through the window and the alarm clock by Nina's night stand says it's morning. And Nina is… Vanessa looks around. Of _fucking_ course, Nina is sitting at her desk, reading a book that looks dangerously like a textbook, at eight in the morning during spring break.

 

"Nina?" She groans.

 

Nina's smile first thing in the morning. Great sight, before she turns back to her book.

 

"What's up, Sleeping Beauty?"

 

Vanessa sits up, rubs the sleep from her eyes. She still wearing yesterday's clothes. She looks around − Patty's bed doesn't look slept in. The thought of sharing a bed with Nina shouldn't tug at her stomach like that. They've done this countless times before. It's familiar. But the everyday becomes magical with Nina.

 

"Why am I waking up in your bed at eight during spring break?"

 

"You were tired from the flight, you fell asleep at like eleven."

 

_Sounds legit_.

 

"Alright, more importantly, why are _you_ reading school books at eight during spring break?"

 

She doesn't even need to see Nina to know she's rolling her eyes exasperatedly.

 

"You know I like to be ahead in my reading," Vanessa hears the smile in her voice.

 

"Niiiina, you can't be like that when I'm here!"

 

Nina shakes her head with a big grin on her face, turning to face Vanessa.

 

"Alright, what do you want to do?"

 

An hour later, they're on a bus to the beach where Patty's parents apparently own a huge house. Vanessa hasn't seen the sea in ages − that part always blows her mind. Sure, there's water in New York, but it's dark and filthy and California's beaches are clear and warm.

 

"We should move to California," Vanessa says once she's all spread out on a towel on the beach, pretending to be a pancake cooking under the sun.

 

"You think? I miss New York."

 

Next to her, Nina looks like she belongs to California already, though, cute dress and sunglasses in her hair, her knees pulled up. She's staring at the ocean, tracing circles into the sand. Vanessa feels an urge to grab her hand, something that never felt like a big deal before, but somehow now it seems like it'd be unwelcome and inappropriate. She's debating if maybe she should pretend she's playing with the sand as well when Nina's fingers brush against hers. She feels her heart racing but she interlaces them with Nina's, like they do, like they've always done, and yet it's so different today. _What changed?_

 

"Nina!"  Some asshole shouts and trots towards them.

 

Vanessa immediately snatches her hand away.

 

"Hey Patty," Nina waves.

 

"So nice you came, girl! And this? Vanessa, right?"

 

Vanessa doesn't like the way Patty looks her up and down, but she nods.

 

"I got you a room if you wanna stay, party all night!"

 

Once they walk around, it sounds more like party all day as well. Beer games everywhere − what's with students and these? Can't they just drink cocktails and the occasional shots, and be straightforward about it? Vanessa doesn't get the need to play around with their booze. The rest is equally ridiculous. Pools, people fighting with giant Q-tips in the pools (she'll need to tell Dani about these, she loves a good show), and…

 

"Is this a pride party or something?" Vanessa asks. Girls kissing, everywhere. That's probably an exaggeration. A few couples of girls kissing. Much more than at the clubs of New York.

 

Patty laughs and shakes her head.

 

"This is college, sweetie, experimenting is now or never! Plus, guys find that hot."

 

Vanessa doesn't know what to make of that. She's had her fair share of kissing girls, but she wouldn't call it experimenting any more than she'd say kissing guys is an experiment. And the only person who should think her hot is the person she's kissing.

 

"Alright…" She doesn't dare look at Nina's face − she fears her opinion on that particular issue.

 

The day is entertaining enough, certainly more than sitting in Nina's room and watching her study. They swim a lot, Nina much better than her, but there's a lot of splashing and there, Vanessa gets her revenge. They eat Californian food street that Vanessa loves after just one bite, drink a couple of cocktails in early evening, and finally, they're ready to party at night.

 

The music is loud, deafening, the lights are everywhere, all the colors you can imagine, and everyone is drunk. This is Vanessa's world, this is her comfort zone, and she shares it with Nina now. She drags her to the dance floor, shakes her ass like there's no tomorrow. This is where she shines and that cute dress she brought really comes in handy. The night sky above, stars looking down on them fondly, all the elements of a great night. Nina tries to tell her something, but she doesn't hear a word of it and just nods along because Nina only ever says wise and insightful things anyways.

 

Before she knows how to react and what to do, Nina's hands are on her waist and they're suddenly dancing together. Nina is smiling, almost sheepishly, like this was a breach of boundaries, but Vanessa pulls her closer and leads the dance. This feels amazing, this beautiful night and thrilling party, all that wrapped up with the constant elation that accompanies Nina in Vanessa's thoughts.

 

Nina's eyes won't meet hers, instead Vanessa sees her looking around the party, at these girls kissing, at the stars, and before Vanessa knows it, Nina's mouth is on hers and a flood of feelings washes over her brain all at once.

 

_Nice. This is nice._ Why is kissing Nina so nice? What does this mean for… Then she realizes that this kiss is as fake as Daniela's new boobs. It couldn't be true, could it? Not between best friends. Nina just saw the girls making out and thought she'd get laid if she kissed Vanessa to attract guys. Or she wants to experiment, which Vanessa doesn't do. And yet the kiss feels so nice…

 

She pushes on Nina's chest heavily and runs away from the party, finding some empty spot on the sand where she crashes down, her head into her hands, and uses all her strength left to save herself from crying. _She likes Nina_. Of course she does, Nina is smart and cute and pretty and absolutely perfect, and yet here she is treating Vanessa like a tool, like a means to an end. Vanessa bites her lips, tries to relive every memory of the kiss, even though she wants to erase it forever at the same time. She would lie if she said she absolutely never imagined kissing Nina before. It crossed her mind, but never as a real thing that could happen. She knows what it feels like now, it feels fucking amazing, and yet it tastes like betrayal.

 

"Vanessa…?"

 

"I don't want to be your college try," Vanessa says coolly.

 

"I… What?!"

 

"You heard me."

 

Nina puffs and crosses her arms, a picture of Camila Rosario born again.

 

"What's that supposed to mean?"

 

"I don't wanna be your tease for some dude you wanna get laid with! You… You can't do that, okay? That's fucked up. I won't do it."

 

"You think this… Oh my god, Van, this is ridiculous!"

 

"Then why did you kiss me?!" Vanessa says with more than a touch of anger.

 

Nina stares at her blankly. _Caught like a fish,_ Vanessa thinks. She can tell a lie.

 

"Let's just go back to my place…" Nina sighs.

 

"Fine by me!" Vanessa says, probably too bitterly.

 

"Fine!"

 

The bus ride back is entirely silent. Occasionally, Vanessa steals a glance at Nina, and once or twice their eyes meet but they both look away so fast their necks might as well break. Vanessa can't help it. She feels the hurt deep in her guts, knowing that her very best friend actually thinks of her as disposable. As a make-out partner to get the guy. As a tool. And yet she can't stop herself from thinking about the kiss… Everything she never actively knew she wanted clicking together. And all that too late. She's afraid she's never going to get back what they had, the trust, the intimacy, such love between them. Now they can't even look at each other when they climb up the stairs to Nina's room, and deep down Vanessa believes it's Nina's fault, but she also feels more guilty than she ever had. Of letting herself fall in love with her best friend, her straight best friend, of never setting boundaries.

 

"You can take Patty's…" Nina starts and Vanessa doesn't need the ending of that to crash onto her roommate's bed. In fact, she may not ever need to talk to Nina ever again, if this is how things are supposed to be now.

 

Vanessa turns her back to Nina, faces the wall. Her heart just won't stop drumming out of anger and shame and she can't believe this trip turned out this way after only one day. Should she go back to Manhattan? She doesn't want to make herself extend her stay if Nina doesn't want her here, but she also doesn't have the means to get her flight switched to earlier than planned and a hotel is equally out of the question. Should she call Dani and ask for her advice? She always knows what to do… Should she sneak out during the night? It's already pretty late and Nina is bond to sleep at some point.

 

"I didn't want you to be my college try," Nina says out of the blue.

 

Vanessa frowns. Nina's action earlier tonight was pretty much unequivocal and if there's something she doesn't like, it's when her insights are wrong. She also doesn't want to face Nina just now, risk showing whatever the hell she's feeling. She gives no answer.

 

"Look, what I'm trying to say is…" Her voice trails off and Vanessa hears a sharp inhale.

 

"What _are_ you saying?"

 

"I love you," Nina says plainly, her voice so serious Vanessa almost believes she's kidding her through deadpan. "I didn't want you to _just_ be my college try. I was trying to kiss you because you were beautiful and because I love you."

 

_That_ makes Vanessa turn around.

 

"What?"

 

Nina is staring at the ceiling and she looks on the verge of tears and Vanessa is suddenly overwhelmed with fondness for her. The room is tiny and she could probably just reach out to her but she's not sure it would be welcome.

 

"You've heard me. I meant what I just said. I don't expect you to feel the sam…"

 

Vanessa lurches forward to capture Nina into a tight embrace, burying her head into her hair, her neck where she smells so strong, so good. Then Nina's hands are cupping her face and they stare into each other's eyes. Vanessa feels exposed, but she needs to be right now. She needs Nina to see everything about her, to know that if she is indeed in love with her, that it is so fucking mutual they might as well be just one person with a huge heart full of love.

 

"Van…" Nina whispers, tucking a strand of Vanessa's hair behind her ear, her fingers shaking.

 

And Vanessa can't wait anymore, it's been too long and she's not going to let this opportunity go anywhere. She kisses Nina like it's the last thing she'll ever do, because Nina is a fucking queen who deserves all the good things in the world and if that can start with some good making out, then so it'll be.

 

"I…" She starts as they break the kiss, but the words stay stuck in her throat. A shy smile from Nina, enough encouragement. "I love you. Shit, I love you so much."

 

Nina snorts, because of course Nina would be an angel who recognizes compliments even when Vanessa loses her way with words.

 

"Since when?" Nina asks.

 

Vanessa can't say for sure. In some ways, maybe she's always felt this. Maybe it started when Nina flew to this state, far away from Vanessa, and the ache of missing her best friend turned into something else. What is absolutely certain is that it's here and it's all that matters.

 

"Dunno. A while."

 

"Wow," Nina smiles. "I mean, same, but wow."

 

"Same," Vanessa concludes and why bother using their words if this is something they obviously both feel?

 

 

Turns out, it's pretty nice to have the entire dorm to themselves all empty, though it doesn't have to remain all that silent if they can help it.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, if you read this and enjoyed it, please consider leaving a comment to tell me what you liked :) It really means the world to get feedback. You don't need an AO3 account to leave kudos or post a comment.


End file.
